The presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, David Oyedepo, said yesterday that there will be no war in Nigeria despite the tension generated by recent ethnic and religious clashes in parts of the country.
But he challenged the nation’s leadership to stop “playing the ostrich and speak out the truth through dialogue.”
‘The Nigerian situation needs urgent attention,” he said at the 12th convocation of the Covenant University,Otta,Ogun State.
Oyedepo, who is also the Chancellor of the university, condemned the incessant killings of innocent people by Fulani herdsmen.
“I sometimes wonder where they have the means to buy AK47 when possessing arms in this country is illegal,” he said, warning that any attempt to turn Nigeria into a mono-religious state will create tension.
“You cannot say you are preaching peace while using your power to crush some sections of the people. It will not work.
“This is our homeland. No one will come and solve our problems for us. We must look for indigenous solutions to them,” he said.
One hundred and eighty-eight of the 1,426 graduands at yesterday’s convocation bagged the first class degree. The rest, according to Vice-Chancellor (VC) Aaron Atayero, graduated at 568 (second class upper division), 322 (second class lower division), 47(third class), and 301 post graduate degrees.
Atayero described the new set as ‘thinkers and world changers’ trained with the right mindset to hold their heads among their contemporaries anywhere.
“Covenant University has continued to be at the cutting edge of innovation and research in proffering solution to the nation’s challenges, ” the VC said.
He also advised them to be a purposeful contributor toward the development of the nation.
Former Vice-President and Secretary General, African Development Bank, and keynote speaker, Cecilia Akintomide, identified graduates, research, knowledge dissemination and societal transformation and economic development as four key products that defines a university.
Akintomide, noted that resources available for public universities are limited, henceforth private sector must be encouraged in providing quality university education.
She urged the Federal Government to initiate indigent scholarship programmes so that more youth can achieve their dreams and contribute to national development.
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